There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my Light.

Refrain

O there’s sunshine, blessèd sunshine,
When the peaceful, happy moments roll;
When Jesus shows His smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

There is music in my soul today,
A carol to my King,
And Jesus, listening, can hear
The songs I cannot sing.

There is springtime in my soul today,
For, when the Lord is near,
The dove of peace sings in my heart,
The flowers of grace appear.

There is gladness in my soul today,
And hope and praise and love,
For blessings which He gives me now,
For joys “laid up” above.

Eliza Edmunds Hewitt died this date, 4/24/1920, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This cousin of writer Edgar Page Stites, authored some 50 songs including “Stepping in the Light,” “Give Me Thy Heart,” “When We All Get to Heaven,” “More About Jesus,” “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place,” “Singing I Go,” “Under the Blood.”

Eliza graduated valedictorian and became teacher and a Sunday School teacher. This life of teaching was shortened by a spine problem. She had only a partial recovery. She was became a regular contributor to Sunday-school Helps. She was born6/28/1851,Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.

“If man is not governed by God,

he will be ruled by tyrants.”

– William Penn, founder and first governor of Pennsylvania

On this date, 3/10/1681, William Penn, received a charter from Charles II, making him the proprietor of the colonial American territory, Pennsylvania. Charles II did this to pay a debt of 16,000 (English) pounds which had been owed to Penn’s father. William Penn (1644–1718) the most well known Quaker, became the sole proprietor of “Pennsylvania” naming it after his father. Penn gave legal rights to Indians and to such persecuted Christians as the Mennonites.

Below are excerpts from a charter for this new colony in the Delaware Valley:

I. That so soon as it pleaseth God that the above-said persons arrive there, a certain quantity of land, or ground plat, shall be laid out…the surveyors shall consider what roads or highways will be necessary to the cities, towns or through the lands. Great roads from city to city not to contain less than forty foot, in breadth, shall be first laid out and declared to be for high-ways…

XV. That the Indians shall have liberty to do all things relating to improvement of their ground, and providing sustenance for their families, that any of the planters shall enjoy.

XVI. That the laws, as to slanders, drunkenness, swearing, cursing, pride in apparel, trespasses…weights, and measures, shall be the same as in England, till altered by law in this province…

XVIII. That, in clearing the ground, care be taken to leave one acre of trees for every five acres cleared, especially to preserve oak and mulberries, for silk and shipping.…

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace.
In the mansions bright and blessèd
He’ll prepare for us a place.

Refrain

When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when traveling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold.

Eliza Edmunds Hewitt died this date, 4/24/1920, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was a Presbyterian Sunday School teacher who authored at least fifty songs among which are: “There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today,” “Stepping in the Light,” “Give Me Thy Heart,” “More About Jesus,” “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place,” “Singing I Go,” “Under the Blood.” She was also a regular contributor to Sunday-school Helps.

After graduation from school (valedictorian) Eliza began teaching. However, her career was cut short by a serious spinal problem. She partially recovered, but was an invalid most of her life. She then turned to hymn writing, which ran in the family. Her cousin was hymnist Edgar Page Stites.

Eliza was born 6/28/1851, in Philadelphia and lived all her life in there.

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.

Henry Van Dyke was born this date, 11/10/1852, at Germantown, Pennsylvania. Van Dyke was a Presbyterian who pastored in Rhode Island and New York City from 1879 to 1899. He was appointed professor of English literature at Princeton University, where he remained for many years. He also served as the Amer­i­can am­bas­sa­dor to Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

His published books include The Story of the Other Wise Man (1896) and his songs/hymns include the above “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” (sung to the last movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony).

Oh! sometimes the shadows are deep,
And rough seems the path to the goal,
And sorrows, sometimes how they sweep
Like tempests down over the soul.

Refrain

O then to the Rock let me fly
To the Rock that is higher than I
O then to the Rock let me fly
To the Rock that is higher than I!

2.

Oh! sometimes how long seems the day,
And sometimes how weary my feet!
But toiling in life’s dusty way,
The Rock’s blessèd shadow, how sweet!

3.

Then near to the Rock let me keep
If blessings or sorrows prevail,
Or climbing the mountain way steep,
Or walking the shadowy vale.

Erastus Johnson died this date 6/16/1909. He was a school teach­er in Maine (at 17), experienced something of the Gold Rush (Cal­i­for­nia), was in Pennsylvania (24 years in the oil bu­sin­ess). Also lived in Maine again and Wash­ing­ton before moving to his death sight, Walt­ham, Mass­a­chu­setts.

“O Sometimes the Shadows are Deep” (a.k.a. “The Rock That Is Higher Than I”) was written during another America financial panic – that of 1871, after knowing that many had lost thousands of dollars among whom was John Wan­a­mak­er. (Wan­a­mak­er lost $70,000, which to him at that time, was a large amount.)

Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
I want Thee forever to live in my soul.
Break down every idol, cast out every foe;
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

This was song was written by James Nicholson, a native of Ireland. He made America his adopted land. James died this day in Washington DC but was buried back in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he had worked for the Post Office.